Watch Lin Heqin throw a sidekick to an opponent’s face ahead of MMA return against Itsuki Hirata

China's Lin Heqin is getting ready for her showdown against Japanese Judoka Itsuki Hirata on August 26. 'MMA Sister' has loads of experience fighting in ONE Championship in both MMA and kickboxing.

In her last outing, she faced Milagros Lopez in a kickboxing match. Heqin won the fight and looked impressive doing so. She landed some beautiful sidekicks on her opponent during the bout. ONE Championship has shared one such kick on Instagram which landed straight on her opponent's head. Watch it below:

The Chinese-born athlete has only had a single loss in ONE Championship. It was against Commonwealth gold-medallist wrestler Ritu Phogat.

With wins over Lopez, Bi Nguyen, and Jomary Torres, Heqin will be a major challenge for Hirata to try to overcome in the upcoming ONE Championship event.

The two atomweight fighters are booked to face off later this month on ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on August 26. Watch Lin Heqin's crisp striking below:

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Itsuki Hirata's future in MMA and legacy after Lin Heqin

Fans of combat sports are looking forward to the showdown between Lin Heqin and Itsuki Hirata. Hirata began her martial arts journey at the age of six by training in Judo. She now competes in MMA with a strong grappling base.

The Japanese fighter is only 22 years old and is already discussing what her future will look like in this sport. Despite her young age, she is already thinking about her legacy. Speaking to Cageside Press in 2021, Hirata explained:

"I don’t really see myself doing this long-term necessarily. So I’m putting all of myself into what I’m capable of right now. I want to become champion, get the belt, and I want keep winning obviously, on a global stage."

Hirata expressed a desire to work with children and women in the field of MMA, saying:

"I want to be able to teach kids not just martial arts, but let them know how fun it is to move their bodies and exercise and stay active. As well as empower women in martial arts, but also again in terms of exercise. So maybe opening a female gym of some sort.” [sic]

Hirata has dedicated herself to MMA full-time and wants to capture the ONE women's atomweight world championship, then call it a career. But first Itsuki has to get past Heqin, who isn't just a phenomenal striker but a great grappler too.

Watch Lin submit Jomary Torres in 2019: